


Maybe We'll Be Alright

by agentwashingcat



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Carolina and Tucker are just here for emotional support lol, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-29 12:58:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18778765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentwashingcat/pseuds/agentwashingcat
Summary: York comes back from the dead and Wash is less thrilled than he thought he would be. Cross posted on tumblr for rvb rare pair week!





	Maybe We'll Be Alright

Wash was like, 90% sure he was hallucinating. Except that Carolina had gone quiet beside him, and even the reds and blues had stopped talking.

So maybe he wasn’t hallucinating. Honestly, he kind of wished he was. Because then, at least, there would be an explanation for why York was standing in front of him.

“Where the fuck have you been?” The words were spit out with all the venom he could muster, enough that York actually took a step back, and Wash could imagine the shocked look on his face. Yeah, York wouldn’t have predicted it going like this.

“What, Wash, I’ve been looking for you.” York put his hands up in front of him, a placating gesture that only pissed Wash off more. _Looking_ for him? He couldn’t have been trying very hard.

“Oh, you’ve been looking for me?” Wash’s voice cracked, but he shrugged off the hand Carolina placed on his shoulder. “Were you looking for me after the ship went down? When I was trapped in debris for _fucking hours_ until they finally pulled me out? Or how about before that, when they put Epsilon in my brain and he fucking destroyed himself and nearly took me with him? Where were you then? Oh, I remember, you ran away with Tex even though you _fucking promised_ you’d be there after I got my AI!”

He was definitely shaking now, thankful his helmet was hiding the tears he knew were falling down his cheeks. Deciding he didn’t want to do this anymore, he turned heel and bolted.

Inside the base, hiding in his room, Wash ripped off his helmet and gloves, pressing his hands to his face to try and keep everything together. There were so many times he had desperately wished for York to be alive, and now that he was he was ruining it. Typical Wash, right?

There was a soft knock on his door, and Wash looked up, startled. Tucker was standing in the doorway, his own helmet off and concern etched across his face. “Hey, man, everything alright?”

Wash couldn’t help put give a bitter laugh. “What do you think?”

“Sorry, stupid question.” Tucker approached, placing a gentle hand on Wash’s shoulder. “You wanna talk about it? You’ve… never really mentioned that time in between freelancer and us before.”

“It’s… not exactly something I like to remember,” Wash admitted quietly. “A lot of my memories of it are vague. I spent a lot of time high out of my mind on whatever drugs they were giving me. But I remember… asking for my friends, for… for _York_ and refusing to believe they were gone until… until I was in my right mind enough to see no one was there.”

He had tried not to blame his friends, but… it was hard. Carolina was one thing. She’d been thrown off a cliff and left for dead. And Maine was already the Meta by then. And obviously North had to look out for South and she came first but… it was York that really crushed him. He’d just taken off without saying anything and then just… didn’t try and find him after? Wash bit down hard on his lower lip, trying to fight back tears again. This was stupid, he couldn’t remember the last time he had cried this much.

“Shit dude.” Tuckers arms wrapped around him then, pulling him in for a tight hug. “That’s rough. Want me to go kick his ass for you?”

This time, Wash managed a real laugh. “Maybe. I just… need a minute to put myself back together.” He needed to have an actual real conversation with York that wasn’t just yelling. He was already starting to feel a little guilty. He should have at least let York explain himself.

“Take your time, man, Carolina won’t let him through until you’re ready.”

* * *

 

York stared in shock as Wash left, the sim troopers letting him through before continuing to stare York down. Oh man, he fucked up, didn’t he?

“Wash, wait!” He tried to follow, but Carolina put out an arm to stop him.

“I think you should give him a few.”

“Carolina, I, I didn’t, I swear I didn’t know you guys were alive!” He’d assumed, like everyone he had talked too after, that Carolina had died after Maine ripped out her AI and tossed her over a cliff. And when the MOI crashed, he’d just assumed Wash went with it. It was such a shitshow, he didn’t even know how he was supposed to find anyone in there.

“York.” Carolina spoke firmly, placing her hands on his shoulders. “It’s okay. I know. What I don’t know is how _you_ survived.”

That was a fair question. “I faked my death. I was seriously injured but not as badly as I let Tex believe.” York paused, wondering if Tex is still a sore subject, but Carolina didn’t  move or say anything, so he kept going. “Well, there were lots of dead bodies so I just… switched armor.”

“And left Delta behind?”

Carolina was much more informed than he expected. And this was the part that York hated. “He had to keep the recovery Beacon going. I tried to convince him but… sometimes I think he had his own plan.” He’d heard about everything with the Alpha, knew Delta was gone now but York still missed him. He was a part of him, and it still felt like something was missing in his head sometimes.

Carolina sighed. “York. I’m about to tell you something you really aren’t going to like.”

“It can’t be worse than what just happened.”

“Wash was recovery.”

York felt like he’d been punched in the gut, and he had to grip Carolina’s arms to stay upright. “ _What?_ ”

He could almost imagine the look she’s giving him beneath her helmet. “He was the one who found your, what we _thought_ was your body.”

York thought he might actually be sick. They’d been so close. They could have been together so much sooner than this. Would Wash have been more or less angry then, finding York trying to fake his own death? He guessed it didn’t matter now.

“Carolina, I need to talk to him, _please._ ”

She let out another sigh. “I’ll go check up on him just, wait here, okay?”

For once, York did as he was told. Rushing things would only make this worse, and he desperately didn’t want to make it worse.

* * *

 

“Wash?”

“We’re in my room,” Wash called to Carolina, extracting himself from Tucker’s hug. He wiped at his eyes, trying to at least look presentable. He was  pretty sure it wasn’t working. He’d just put his helmet back on instead.

Carolina appeared in the doorway, tilting her head towards him. “You okay?”

Wash was quiet for a moment. “No. But I guess I should go talk to him, huh?”

“Not if you need more time. I think he wants to make things better though.”

Wash took a moment to collect himself. He needed to talk to York. Work on the whole not holding grudges thing. It’s not working so well here.

York was, somehow, right where Carolina left him. Wash didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing.

“Can we have a minute?” Carolina herded the rest of the reds and blues away, leaving him alone. With York. Who was supposed to be dead. But Wash guessed he was supposed to be dead too.

He opened his mouth to speak, but York beat him too it. “Wash, I’m sorry, I didn’t, I honestly thought you died, if I had known, I would have gone back for you, I never would have left, I swear.”

Wash let that hang in the air for a moment. “Then why did you leave before? With Tex.”

York visibly flinched, but Wash needed an answer. He had to know what was so important York left before he got his AI. Before Epsilon.

“I was trying to do the right thing,” York finally answered. “Tex needed my help and I didn’t want to get you involved. In case things went south. Which they did.”

“You should have waited,” Wash said darkly. “Epsilon, the AI I got? He was Alpha’s memories. Got all that shit dumped into my head the day after you left.”

“Shit, man.” York looked like he wanted to reach out, but thought better of it. “I didn’t, I didn’t know.”

“It… was rough.” Wash looked down before looking back up. “York… I’m not the same guy I was the last time you saw me. I don’t even think I can be that guy anymore.”

“Wash… I doubt I’m the same either.” York took a hesitant step forward. “Either way… maybe we could start over? I’m not going anywhere, I swear.”

Wash was quiet a moment, before reaching out for York’s hand. York grabbed onto it eagerly. “Yeah. I’d like that. I… I really missed you, York.”

“I missed you, too.” Next thing Wash knew he was back in Yorks arms, both their helmets on the ground so they can get a good look at each other. They both look older. Ragged. But York has the same look in his eye he always had when looking at Wash, and it makes Wash think maybe this could work.

Maybe they can be together again. And maybe, just maybe, everything will be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated!


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